Book Review: “Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters” (By Donald A. McKim)

Donald A. McKim. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009). 

This dictionary, formerly entitled Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters (1998), focuses on the work of many of the most significant biblical interpreters from Jesus to the beginning of the twenty-first century. More than one-hundred scholars contributed essays summarizing the life and works of approximately two-hundred persons who were included in the dictionary because they either made a novel contribution to, or left an indelible mark upon, the practice of biblical interpretation. 

This unique work begins with a one-hundred-page prefatory essay that surveys the history of biblical interpretation. Composed by six scholars with various expertise, the essay is designed to bring coherence to the host of entries in the main body of the work by drawing the reader’s attention to the issues, contributions, and movements that have characterized the various epochs of biblical interpretation. Accordingly, it offers a brief treatment of the patristic period, the Middle Ages, the reformation and post-reformation period, the enlightenment period, and the modern interpretive milieu in Europe and North America. The essay is understandably superficial but necessary and helpful in the context of this work. 

The articles cover a wide array of biblical interpreters and are generally informative and helpful for gaining a general view of an era or an interpreter. They include resources for further reading, and thus serve as a handy reference tool and a spring board for more substantial research. 

Be Rich in the Word: Meditating on the Word

Despite all his sinfulness and brokenness, King David loved the Lord and his Word with all his heart. This is, in part, why he wrote Psalm 119 and expressed himself with words like these: “In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word…I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes…Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:14,16, 48, 97). 

Do you hear his heart? David meditated on the Word because he delighted in the Word, and he delighted in the Word because he delighted in God himself. One of the ways we display the value of a person is by listening to their words, and the closer we listen the more value we display. So, again, definitions and techniques aside, meditation on the Word of God is a fruit of our delight in and valuing of God. 

To study the Bible is to seek a greater understanding of what God has said and done. To meditate on the Bible is to seek greater insight into the meaning and applications of what he’s said and done. In fact, the primary Hebrew word for meditation means “to speak under one’s breath, or to converse with oneself.” Have you ever been thinking so deeply about something that you’ve caught yourself talking out loud, or worse yet, been caught by someone else? If so, then you understand meditation. To study is to understand, and to meditate is to be captivated. This is why David wrote, “Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works” (Psalm 119:27). In other words, he’s saying, “Grant me knowledge that I may delight in you.” 

As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in love for God. “I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules…Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning…The Lord is my portion” (119:7, 54, 57). Indeed, biblical meditation is the fuel of true worship. 

As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in the knowledge of the will and ways of God. As David noted, “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99). The same was true of Jesus when he was young (Luke 2:47) and of Peter and John after the Day of Pentecost (Acts 4:13). True knowledge before God is a fruit of meditation on the Word of God. 

As we learn to meditate on the Word, we grow in the ability to endure life’s many trials. David wrote, “Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes…Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts” (119:23, 78). 

Friends, meditation on the Word is a discipline that bears many kinds of fruit, so hear David’s heart, hear your Father’s voice drawing you toward his Word, and join David in the commitment to savor the Word each day. “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise” (119:148).

Living by Faith: The Creation and Our Faith (continued)

In Psalm 37:3-7, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord, wait patiently for him.” Creation is designed to inspire this kind of faith in our souls. It’s designed to teach us to believe in him who can do anything he wills to do. 

Of all the examples of faith we will ponder in chapter 11, this is the only one that looks backwards. What I mean is that every other instance of faith is of people who had to look into the future and believe that God was going to bring about what he had promised. But with creation we look at what we see, think back in time, and believe that what we see was created by God out of nothing. We look upon this living metaphor and learn deep in our hearts that if he can do something so powerful as this, then he can surely fulfill all of his purposes and promises in heaven, on earth, in our lives. 

And as I mentioned in an earlier post in this series, our beliefs about the specifics of creation come not from our imaginations but from the Word of God. For example, we get the idea that the universe came into existence by the word of God’s power from the Word of God. So, when we wake up and walk outside and see what we see, we believe that it was created by the speech of God because God has told us so in his Word. And when we look upon creation and believe the Word of God, we grow in faith. We grow in trust. We grow in childlike wonder. 

Now, to some extent, God has given us enough common sense to look at the created order and figure out that some massively powerful and intelligent being made all that we see. In fact, Romans 1 tells us that creation itself is enough to hold us accountable before God and it condemn us as fools if we fail to see the creation and believe in him. But faith is more than common sense. Faith is more than a series of intellectual processes. Faith trusts in God by clinging to his words, and so when our Father says that he created everything out of nothing by simply speaking it into existence, we believe him, and this is faith. 

So, I want to end this post by challenging you to set aside sometime this week, leave your electronics and other distractions behind, and go somewhere where you can behold the works of God in creation. Once there, remember what you’ve learned from Hebrews 11 and ask God to use his handiwork to build your faith. Ask him to work in your mind and heart as you gaze upon the things he’s made and meditate upon his power and faithfulness. Let creation do what it was designed to do in your life today!

Book Review: “The Company of the Preachers” (By David L. Larsen)

David L. Larsen. The Company of the Preachers: A History of Biblical Preaching from the Old Testament to the Modern Era, 2 Vols. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic and Professional, 1998). 

The focus of this two-volume work is on biblical preaching which Larsen defines as the explication and application of the content and purposes of the Bible, the living Word of God. This implies that biblical preaching is inextricably bound, in its aims, processes and outcomes, to the nature and character of the God who has revealed himself through the Word. Larsen rightly asserts that there is a crisis in preaching in our time, and thus he seeks to draw upon the vast resources of the history of preaching to instruct, correct, and inspire modern preachers to practice and promote lively expository preaching once again. 

He is unashamedly evangelical and places himself squarely in the flow of classical biblical Christianity. Thus, he asserts that the foundations of biblical preaching are the conviction that the Bible is indeed the living Word of God, that the Bible is designed to be proclaimed by those who are called of God to do so, and that the study of the history of preaching is necessary for any preaching ministry to flourish over time because it provides cautionary tales, ministry-shaping insights, and the hope that God will cause his Word to prosper in every age. 

Larsen commences his survey of history, then, with a treatment of preaching in the Old and New Testaments, a feature which is somewhat unique and refreshing. From there, he guides his readers on a journey through the history of preaching in the early church, the Middle Ages, the Reformation and Enlightenment, the Victorian Era, and the twentieth century. The final two chapters on the twentieth century, to which he devotes nearly two-hundred-fifty pages, are particularly impressive. As a whole, his presentation is thorough, insightful, readable, and likely to enflame the preaching ministries of all who will listen well and then take up this study on their own. 

Be Rich in the Word: Studying the Word

Psalm 111 begins with a call to and declaration of praise. “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation” (111:1). But the question is this: why is the Psalmist so eager to give thanks to the Lord that he promises to do so in the midst of a worship gathering and also calls on others to join him? The answer is found in verse 2. “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them” (111:2). The reason the Psalmist is so jubilant is because the Lord is so great, and he has revealed his greatness through his works. From this we learn that the works of the Lord make the greatness of the Lord visible, but because his primary works are contained in his Word, we must study his Word to delight in his works. 

The Hebrew word for “study” means “to frequently return to a place” so that one becomes intimately familiar with it. So, to study the Word of God is to regularly return to a particular place until we gain insight into the works of God and grow in love for God himself. Indeed, delighting in the Lord begins with hearing and reading his Word, but it deepens and grows as we repeatedly go to his Word and seek to understand what he has done. 

As the Psalmist delighted in the works of the Lord, he came to see five ways in which they reveal his greatness. First, the works of the Lord are full of the glory of the Lord, displaying his righteousness, faithfulness, and mercy. “Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful” (111:3-4). Second, the works of the Lord reveal the compassionate provision of the Lord for his people, and his enduring commitment to them. “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever” (111:5). 

Third, the works of the Lord reveal the more ultimate purposes of the Lord. “He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations” (111:6). Fourth, one of the works of the Lord is the granting of his words which are to be understood and obeyed. “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness” (111:7-8). Finally, the works of the Lord reveal the gospel. “He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!” (111:9) 

The Psalmist achieved these insights by carefully studying the Word, and we can achieve similar insights by doing the same thing each day. As the Psalmist concludes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (111:10) So, let us delight in the works of the Lord by studying his Word. If you need help learning how to study the Bible, I’d encourage you to visit www.blueletterbible.org and take advantage of their many study tools.

Living by Faith: The Creation and our Faith

In Hebrews 11:3, the author writes, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” God created the heavens and the earth to display his glory and build our faith. In other words, one of the main purposes of the created order is to help us believe in God. It’s to help us trust in his power and goodness and wisdom and beauty and ability to do anything he wants to do. It’s to help us press on in the assurance that he’s willing to act on our behalf for the glory of his name. 

Psalm 19:1-2 tell us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands day by day. In Isaiah 6:3 the angels declare in the presence of the Lord that the whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord. Romans 1:20 teaches us that the creation was designed to reveal the glory of God to us and powerfully witness about some of his most important attributes, and the question is this: do we have eyes to see what our eyes are seeing when we look upon creation? 

Then here in Hebrews we’re told how God has designed his creation to function in the lives of those who believe. The believing soul is supposed to look upon creation and say, “O my soul, since the heavens and the earth and all that’s in them were created by nothing more than the will and words of God, he must be exceedingly great, powerful, intelligent, artistic, and good. And since he can stretch out a universe; since he can make the sun shine and rise and fall and govern days and times; since he can make the moon wax and wane in its cycles; since he can make the skies team with the birds of the air; since he can make the seas gather into their place and team with fish and all manner of creatures; since he can make the land rise out of the sea and be filled with lakes and rivers and mountains and trees; since he can make the land team with the beasts of the field and all manner of crawling things; since he can create men and women in his image and cause their nations to rise and fall—since he can do all this and so much more by nothing more than the word of his power, then he must be able to fulfill his purposes and promises in the world and in my life.” 

Many years ago I attended a pastor’s retreat in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California, and somewhere along the way I went out onto a deck to think and pray about some things that were troubling me. It’s funny that I can’t even remember what those things were now, but I can remember looking at the tall mountains and the pine trees that stretched out as far as my eye could see. I can remember beholding the night sky and gazing upon the millions of stars that filled it and I can remember breathing in the cool, crisp air. I can remember preaching to my soul and saying, “Charlie, if God can create and care for all of this, surely he can care for you. Surely he can handle your problems. Surely he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Surely he loves you more than these. So, trust in his will and words and ways, and believe that he will act on your behalf.” I can still remember the feeling of peace that washed over me in that moment and, though I don’t remember what happened from there, I suppose the Lord acted on my behalf because, again, I can’t even remember what was so troubling to me! 

Friends, the Lord is faithful and creation is designed to help us see and feel the power of this fact. In other words, creation is designed to build our faith. I’ll say more about this in the next post in this series, but for now, let me pose the question: when you look upon creation, do you have the eyes to see what you’re eyes are seeing? Are you allowing God to strengthen your faith through the works of his hands? 

Book Review: “A History of Biblical Interpretation” (By Alan Hauser & Duane Watson, eds.)

Alan J. Hauser, and Duane F. Watson, eds. A History of Biblical Interpretation, 2 Vols. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003-09). 

This multi-volume set (two more volumes are forthcoming) probes into the history of Jewish and Christian interpretation of the Tanak and the New Testament from a decidedly moderate-to-liberal point of view. The editors have included helpful summative essays at the beginning of each volume that survey the contents of that volume in some detail. The various chapters, then, are written by a variety of specialists and cover such diverse subjects as inter-textual exegesis, the Septuagint, the Targumim and Midrash, the formation of the canon, medieval exegesis in Jewish and Christian contexts, Eastern Orthodox exegesis, and Reformation exegesis in Catholic and Protestant communities. 

While these volumes are laudable and somewhat unique in their scope and erudition, the decidedly moderate-to-liberal bent of the editors and authors renders them of limited use for advancement in the study of the interplay between interpretation and proclamation. Specifically, the disposition of the editors is that the canon of Scripture, in its development and transmission, is primarily, if not totally, the product of human effort and genius. Thus, they assert that there is an inherent diversity of meaning in the Scripture itself which leads them, for example, to affirm Marcion as one who saw what was actually present in Scripture. 

On the one hand, we may acknowledge that more conservative scholars at times downplay the impact that socio-cultural phenomena had on the formation and transmission of the canon, but on the other hand, we must reject the notion that these phenomena loomed so large in that process. God has indeed revealed himself through nature, the prophets, and preeminently in Christ (Ps 19:1-5; Heb 1:1-4), and he is thus primarily responsible for the revelation, reception, formation, and transmission of the canon. Fundamentally, the Bible is revelation rather than tradition. This we whole-heartedly affirm, and this the editors of these volumes seem to deny or at least ignore.